Today’s subject is one of my favorite ways to come up with wacky new writing ideas. Morphological Forced Connections uses a matrix (or chart) to generate ideas by combining different components at random. This is a great way to generate random writing prompts when you’re stuck.
What you need:
–Paper and writing implement
–Dice
Here’s how it works:
1) Make a list of categories relating to what you’re going to write. Some suggestions: genre, story structure, POV, setting, form, protagonist, antagonist, prop, or anything else that comes to mind.
2) Under each category brainstorm 6 options. Like this:
Genre Plot/Story Premise POV Form
Romance Fish Out of Water 1st poem
Fantasy Underdog 2nd essay
SciFi Pygmalion 3rd story
Thriller Quest Omniscient flash fiction
Chick Lit Star-Crossed Lovers Peripheral novella in verse
Picture Book Revenge Objective email/twitter
3) For each category roll the dice and circle or highlight the choice from each list accordingly. The prompt for the example above is: Fantasy story about star-crossed lovers, told in 1st person through the email/twitter format.
4) Now write.
Note: Sometimes it seems like the combination you got isn’t actually going to work. “What do you mean I’m supposed to write a thriller quest story as an omniscient poem?” The idea here isn’t to come up with the premise for the next great American novel. Rather, the goal is to shake up your thinking and make you see connections you ordinarily wouldn’t see.
Today’s Task: Come up with your own morphological forced connection prompt. If you like, share your prompt in the comments or borrow a prompt from a fellow DIY MFAer.
Comments on this post
I didn't have a dice so I scrunched up the choices and had my toddler pick them.
I got a romance novel in 1st person with a modern day cowboy that involves an escape.
Not bad, I could work with this 🙂
11. September - 11:10 amAn avant-garde erotic romance about a too stupid to live heroine and a tycoon hero, as they go from rags to riches and back again, told in peripheral POV.
So basically, I'm supposed to sex up The Great Gatsby. 😉
11. September - 1:14 pmLOL I tried to make up my current WIP with the lists above to see what it fitted into. Genre was easy – fantasy, but under plot, my WIP fits with Fish out of Water, Underdog, Star Crossed Lovers, AND Revenge. Great writing prompt idea!
11. September - 1:20 pmChick lit, fish out of water, 3rd, flash fiction. This one sounds interesting.
11. September - 2:53 pmThere are some really fun places on the web I've used to get my brain thinking that have wacky character combos or names. This really doest get the brain going and good for a laugh sometimes. I think I got burglar nanny…
11. September - 4:33 pmLove this! Another great idea to help people combat writer's block.
12. September - 1:16 amI suffer more from writer's lazy than the actual block. I have more story ideas than I could write in a lifetime. I just need to use my time wisely.
In hindsight, it is probably because I use techniques like this to generate story ideas. (The Duh-bulb just came on.)
12. September - 6:23 pmI am completely stealing from Darksculptures and using the term "writer's lazy." When I put my BIC I can usually get going. BIC (and complications of life) is usually my problem.
But I am going to give this a shot – it sounds fun!!
14. September - 1:29 pm